London 2026
Now known as New Blood 2: No Wrong Path, join us at Kings Place in London on 4 February to find out more…
Now known as New Blood 2: No Wrong Path, join us at Kings Place in London on 4 February to find out more…
Our last event was our most successful conference yet. The theme was “New Blood” – getting new faces into financial planning and helping ensure the long-term viability of a profession we all agree is a powerful force for good.
We took over the Glasgow Science Centre and its amazing IMAX screen and ran what we think was the biggest financial planning conference ever in Scotland. Our audience was a unique mix of planners, the industry and (most importantly) well over 100 students, school-age pupils and career-changers who came along to hear if planning might be for them.
During a packed day we achieved another first with our Financial Planning Live session. Two of Scotland’s most progressive planners met a client and had no idea in advance what that client had in store for them. From that standing start our intrepid duo needed to do discovery, goal setting, cashflow, and more.
The client was a professional actor, briefed in advance on three personas; the audience voted for which one they should adopt, and the whole thing was an improvisation from start to finish.
It was a revelation; incredibly hard work for the planners but amazing for the audience, especially for those who didn’t really know what happens in a planning meeting.
The best bit? As well as having a brilliant day, we’re already seeing connections being made, job discussions happening and maybe some new planners of the future starting their career journey in financial services. Going into the day, almost no-one rated planning as a career. At the end of it, nearly 80% said it looked “very attractive”. That’s the kind of progress we’re about.
Now it’s time for us to bring the same concept to London. Here’s what’s in store:
SOME BASICS FIRST
We’re back in the beautiful Kings Place venue just next to Kings Cross and Coal Drops Yard.
Just like in Glasgow, we’re planning to split the audience into three. One third will be planners, one third will be the industry, but most excitingly a third will be young people, educators and career changers. We want students and other young people to come along, learn about what planning is and see what an interesting and vibrant sector we have. To do that we need to make our day interesting and vibrant. So, the agenda will reflect the audience. We’re partnering with various colleges and universities to make sure we engage everyone. We want to show the best of the profession – but we also want to hear from the planners of the future themselves, about what we can do better to attract them.
One of the most exciting developments of the last few years is the advent of academies and structured programmes to get new blood into the sector. We’ll have as many of them on hand as we can. Who knows, maybe there might be a spot of matchmaking done.
As you’d expect, we’ll hear from progressive, interesting voices throughout the day.
The main conference will start at 11am and run through to the early evening. In addition, we’ll launch the lang cat’s annual study of the advice profession – State of the Advice Nation – this time with a special focus on New Blood and the future of the industry.
Our main agenda will be in Hall One, including Financial Planning: Live with new planners, new scenarios and a new “client”. We’ll have guest speakers from inside and outside the industry, sessions on what the sector can do to make itself more attractive from educators and those who have walked the walk, and an entertainment slot at the end of the day from two up and coming comedians.
During the day, we’ll split the audience, and those who are our potential new blood will move into Hall Two for in-depth sessions on what it means to join the planning profession. The room will be set up in stations, and they’ll move round each one in turn before hearing a keynote from a very special planner.
The audiences will come back together for the second part of Financial Planning: Live and the later parts of the day, before it’s time for drinks and the legendary lang cat afterparty.
THE PRACTICALITIES
The date to mark in your calendars is Wednesday 4 February. Doors open at 10.30am.
Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, tickets are free for advice professionals working in an advice firm; so advisers, planners, paraplanners, compliance and admin fill your boots (if you work for a huge provider with an advice offshoot you only qualify if you’re in an advice-giving or paraplanning role).
We’ve also got specific tickets for those new to the profession, so if you are newly qualified, just starting studying, changing career, a student on a relevant uni or college course these tickets are for you – particularly if you have never attended an industry event before!
Everyone else is asked to buy tickets at a cost of £100 plus VAT.
This event qualifies for 5 hours of structured CPD.
Anna is a multi-award-winning leader, and proud accidental financial services veteran. After making the leap from hospitality, Anna has spent 12 years carving out a space for herself in an industry that didn’t feel built for her. Today, she uses that experience to inspire others to step into their power, bring their own seat to the table, and enter the industry as their authentic selves. Her career spans being an ex-managing director as well as operations, coaching, mentoring and speaking - all driven by a belief that leadership is about service, not ego. Anna is passionate about challenging outdated norms and creating cultures where people thrive. Known for being a little bit sweary but a hell of a lot caring, she always brings honesty and intention to spark genuine change.
Caroline has been in paraplanning for over 22 years, starting Sparrow Paraplanning in 2019. She also runs Sparrow Solutions, providing operational, L&D, training and mentoring support to paraplanners and financial planners. Caroline is a chartered member of the CISI, an accredited paraplanner and has won a number of paraplanning awards. She was the first paraplanner to be president of the Personal Finance Society, and led their Paraplanner Panel for six years.
Hayley is an award-winning financial services professional and a leading voice on the future of advice, particularly how the profession can better attract, support and inspire the next generation. She is a non-executive director at Pilot, a fintech company building technology that helps advisers save time so they have more capacity to give advice to more people. Hayley also sits on the steering group of the New Talent Alliance. Previously, Hayley was head of The Verve Foundation, where she led award-winning, nationally recognised work to widen access to advice careers. Today, Hayley is passionate about changing outdated perceptions of finance. She believes financial advice is not about numbers or suits, but about people, problem-solving and making a real difference to everyday lives.
Jo is a Certified Financial Coach Practitioner and Chartered Financial Planner. She founded Joyful Wealth in 2023, a financial planning firm aiming to bridge the coaching, planning and advice gap for clients with low assets, financial resilience and financial confidence. In her 10 years in the industry, Jo has worked across consumer credit, mortgage consultancy and paraplanning which ultimately led to setting up on her own.
A founding partner of Strategic Solutions, Kevin entered financial services in 1990. Since then, he has worked at Lloyds Bank, Liverpool Victoria, Abbey Life and Sun Life of Canada. In 2001 Kevin set up his own business as an IFA and specialises in the pension arena where he holds several qualifications. Kevin is the Chairman of the Hampshire & Dorset Region of the Personal Finance Society and has been for nine years. He currently sits on the FCA Smaller Business Practitioner Panel, which provides input to the FCA on its strategic and operational objectives.
Louise presented BBC5Live’s Wake Up To Money and BBC Radio 4’s Money Box Live for many years. She wrote for various newspapers and had regular business/money columns for both The Times and The Spectator. She started her career at Goldman Sachs as a stockbroker and then moved on to become a business journalist, initially as an on air presenter and reporter at the BBC World Service Radio. Louise is still a well-used commentator/interviewee and presented a regular personal finance slot on the Jeremy Vine show. In the last couple of years Louise has decided to retrain as a teacher and lecturer to pass on her expertise and experience and to give back to society. Louise is currently employed as a Senior Lecturer in Finance at Kingston University Business School.
Matt started his career as an independent adviser in May 2001 with what was then Towry Law, rising to become one of only four Executive Partners nationally. Following the acquisition of Towry by Private Equity house Permira in 2016, Matt left to establish Altor believing that there was a fairer way of advising his clients. Matt spends most of his free time with his lovely family and with what is left, is a keen supporter of the England rugby team.
Natalie is passionate about learning and development within the financial services sector. Her career spans both client-facing and operational roles in retail banking and financial planning, giving her a well-rounded understanding of the industry. With a background in teaching, Natalie has combined her expertise in education with her financial services experience to help others thrive. Today, she focuses on supporting individuals at every stage of their career journey, whether that's navigating their next step or finding a route into the profession. This commitment is central to her work as part of the Steering Group for the New Talent Alliance, where she champions initiatives that attract and develop new talent in financial services.
Tom’s career in financial services began after he graduated in 2008. Known as Producer Tommo, Tom is a regular presenter on The Financial Wellbeing Podcast. After a fateful lunch in his early days at Ovation, a story often recounted on the podcast, Tom is now famous for his #tightasstommo money-saving tips. His blend of practical advice and humour makes him a favourite among listeners seeking to improve their financial wellbeing. A self-confessed pensions geek, Tom has specific expertise in helping individuals and business owners to plan for their future. He loves being able to help others plan for a life that they might not have thought was possible, and then seeing it all unfold.
Adam has been performing for 25 years. As a stockier man with a shaved head, he has been typecast as a gang member in ''The Bill', a mugging suspect in 'Eastenders', and has been in no less than 3 reconstruction videos for Crimewatch. Which shows what a talented actor he is as he is actually a pussycat in real life. Adam has also written and featured in short comedy films on YouTube ‘Winnie the Pooh and Zombies Too’ and 'Alan Vs Predator’.
Kate founded FLP in 2015. Her mission? To build a different type of business. To give clients a planning service that’s way beyond the transactional, and to help them navigate the hellscape that is the financial services industry. Specialising in serving those who don't fit the mould of traditional financial planning, Kate's philosophy is clear: "Come as you are”. She's particularly passionate about helping Gen X women, a group she believes is often underserved by mainstream financial services. When not at work, Kate is happiest in the mountains, either running or skiing. She lives her own version of her best life by spending 3 months each year living in and working from the French Alps.
With over a decade of experience in financial planning practices, Rebecca ensures FLP runs like clockwork. She oversees client journeys, processes and technology, aiming to make everything as efficient and effective as possible. A seasoned paraplanner at heart, she now applies her technical prowess to elevate FLP's operations. Her passion lies in problem-solving: dissecting complex scenarios and reassembling them into beautifully simple solutions, both for clients and the business. When not working, she's planning her next cultural adventure. With an uncanny ability to attract interesting experiences and forge unexpected friendships, her travels never quite go to plan - and that's exactly how she likes it.
We provided the research for a report, in conjunction with Parmenion, which reveals how far short of expectations many adviser platforms are falling. The research found that over the last 12 months, 88% of advisers needed to apologise to at least one of their clients on behalf of a platform, and that poor service delivery from platforms impacts 91% of advisers every day.
We provided the research for a report, in conjunction with Parmenion, which reveals how far short of expectations many adviser platforms are falling. The research found that over the last 12 months, 88% of advisers needed to apologise to at least one of their clients on behalf of a platform, and that poor service delivery from platforms impacts 91% of advisers every day.
Service means a lot of things to a lot of different people. It’s so subjective it can be hard to put your finger on. This paper aims to challenge the status quo and inertia that’s built up in the sector for many years.
